‘Searching For Sugarman’ Exec Producer Plots Docu On Rockers X Japan

EXCLUSIVE: Award-winning producer John Battsek (Searching For Sugarman, The Imposter) is ramping up for a new feature documentary on glam rock/hair metal band X Japan. Megastars in its native Asia who sell out arenas overseas, X Japan has yet to break stateside with as much success. Formed in 1982, X Japan’s evolution into glam-metal-pop superstars is laden with as much dramatic backstory as any international rock outfit. The lineup, anchored by co-founding drummer-pianist-songwriter Yoshiki, has navigated breakups and the deaths of two members while selling over 30 million albums and singles to date.

With director Stephen Kijak (Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, Stones In Exile) at the helm, principal photography on the Passion Pictures production will begin October 11 at New York’s Madison Square Garden when the band plays their first U.S. concert since 2010. New York also is where X Japan first landed stateside when it signed with Atlantic Records in 1992.

While lesser known in the States, X Japan enjoys icon status in Japan, where its glam fashion and musical aesthetics were influential on other bands and youngsters in the “visual-kei” rock movement. When original member Hide Matsumoto hanged himself at age 33, it spawned a wave of copycat suicide attempts. His face still is projected as a hologram onstage during X Japan shows, where he’s still introduced as a member of the band.

Yoshiki and X Japan are set to appear this month at New York Comic-Con with Marvel legend Stan Lee, who with Todd McFarlane created the Blood Red Dragon comic inspired by Yoshiki. Yoshiki is repped by WME.

10 Comments

Anonymous • on Oct 7, 2014 8:23 pm

Good luck for MCC and MSG. Really love you. Look forward to see everything you are.

Anonymous • on Oct 8, 2014 2:12 am

I can’t wait for the movie to come out! I love X JAPAN! Their music is amazing, and Yoshiki is one of the best drummers/pianists I know. Good luck with the Madison Square Garden show! I’ll be watching you at a theatre in Japan!! WE ARE X!!

Anonymous • on Oct 8, 2014 2:19 pm

You don’t know many pianists or drummers then…

Hanae Lilandiel • on Oct 9, 2014 5:05 am

Yoshiki is probably not the best but he remains very impressive. And his game is excellent both in the piano and in the drums.

And, the fact of considering it as the best is subjective… You have anything has to say there above. Each decides on the artist whom he( considers as the best.

Sorry for the faults, English is not my language!

Anonymous • on Oct 9, 2014 8:03 am

And you obviously don’t know Yoshiki.

Anonymous • on Oct 20, 2014 5:26 pm

His drum solos make me cringe. I’d be embarrassed to play so badly in front of so many people.

Anonymous • on Oct 9, 2014 4:22 am

Their music is 10X better than the greatest Guns N roses ballads. Simply mesmerizing rock.

Anonymous • on Oct 9, 2014 6:48 am

Big fan here, don’t get me wrong… but X Japan played a concert LAST WEEK, this is not their first show since 2010. I also believe that there was NO footage of hide at the concert last week (I wasn’t there, but much of Twitter was upset about one video in particular not being used), and it remains to be seen if they’ll use any at MSG. (They did introduce him as a member of the band, though… it’s more likely a legal issue than a lack of respect, but… I sincerely hope that hide is as much a part of this film as anyone else. His contribution to the band was, and continues to be enormous.)

It’s also well known that hide’s death remains somewhat of a mystery… several people close to him have spoken out, saying that they do NOT believe it was a suicide, and as there was no note, we’ll never know for sure.

It’s wonderful to see one of my favorite bands getting the attention they deserve overseas… but it is a little bit bittersweet that it’s happening today, and not at the peak of their talent twenty or twenty-five years ago.